Façade
by Lady Sanna
Summary: Part IV. When she finally knew where he took her, she clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that threatened to come out. Oh my god, she breathed. MSR.
1. Part I

A/N  
Yes, I know that I haven't written in eons, but I've been busy with homework and all that jazz. Finals were especially crucial. Anyway, I've had this idea since March and I've been meaning to write it, but my muse was stuck on school work rather than writing. I have no idea if this has been done already, but oh well. This fic will be sort of a milestone for me. It's going to involve themes that I've never written in detail about, but for this particular story, I feel it's necessary to do so. Enjoy!

Takes place during the 7th season.

Facade  
Part I  
Lady Sanna

9:28 PM  
REDDING, CA  
2 YEARS AGO

Chris Gavinger, a man of 35 years, tall stature, and homely features, briskly climbed the porch steps up to his home that was situated on a corner of the suburban neighborhood. Outside, his neighbor Raymond Parker waved at him as they passed each other and Chris waved back as was expected. As Chris bounded into the living room, he stubbed his toe on the edge of the small side table and tripped, falling to the floor with a loud thud. He cursed loudly, then trying to ignore the pain, got up as quickly as he could trying to get things ready before his wife came home.

Parker heard the noise from Chris's house and quirked an eyebrow wondering why Gavinger was in such a rush, but shook it off and went about his own business watching the night sky. He has been Gavinger's neighbor for about two and a half years now and he has always noticed his neighbor doing something special for his wife every now and then. He thought it sweet, but it seemed as if that was really the only thing Chris did do besides work. He has never once been able to leisurely talk to him. He even invited Gavinger to hang out at the bar with a few friends. Man-time was what he called it. To his dismay, Chris declined saying that he had a date with his wife that evening.

Of course, Parker respected the fact that he was a devoted husband, but a nagging feeling was telling him that this was a totally different kind of devotion. Subconsciously, he drank the last bit of beer that was left, crushed the can, and flung it into the trash next to him.

Inside the Gavinger household, Chris was practically running around the house, jumping over whatever obstacle was in front of him to set the table and at the same time, dressing up for the occasion. He was planning to have a nice, quiet, dinner with his wife, Olivia, after she got home from work, knowing that she always loved it when he threw surprises like this for her. A smile came to his lips.

Once finished, Chris stood back admiring his work and hoped that his wife would like it. 'Of course!' he told himself. 'She'll love me for it and that's all I want.' The familiar sound of her car stopping in front of the house made him snap back to reality and back to his plan for the evening. Quickly, he hid in the hallway and waited for her to come in so that he would pop out and surprise her.

From the shadows, he watched her slender form get out from the car and walk towards the house. She casually waved to Parker and tiredly walked up the stairs. Placing her briefcase next to her, she searched in her purse for the keys and huffed in frustration when she couldn't find them. Instead of searching any further, she just knocked on the door while calling out her husband's name.

"Chris!" she shouted, "Chris! If you're in there, could you open the door?"

Chris's heart fell. 'Well there goes the surprise.' Rolling his eyes, he made his way to the door, his feet feeling heavy, and opened it with a forced smile. "Honey! Guess-"

"Finally! Could you have been any slower than usual?" Olivia spat, cutting him off mid-sentence. She pushed passed him and took off her coat, throwing it onto the couch. "Oh and get my briefcase before I forget," she shouted as she walked into the bathroom.

Chris just stood there unable to comprehend what just happened. She didn't even notice the dinner table. He took in a long breath and did as he was told, locking the door behind him.

"Olivia, I don't know if you noticed, but I made dinner just for you. Don't you want to join me?" he asked, hesitantly.

After a few minutes, Olivia emerged from the bathroom and glared at him. Then her eyes traveled to the dining room table. She eyed it a few minutes, not moving at all. Chris became nervous, wondering what was going on in her head and hoping that she would be happy for all that he had done. With his spirits still somewhat high, he managed to give her an encouraging smile.

"W-well?" he managed to say.

Her eyes narrowed and she puffed loudly. "Chris, I don't think this is going to work anymore."

His heart fell at her words. His mouth opened slightly, speechless and shocked. "What?"

Olivia took in a deep breath and calmly walked towards him. Her heart was pounding, her palms started to sweat. Oh, she knew all right. She knew about his past and what he had done. Her steps were light so that she would be able to bolt at any given second. As their eyes locked, she could see the terror that those green eyes of his held. She once fell in love with those eyes, but hatred took its place.

Chris reached out to touch her, but she subtly backed away. They were a few inches apart, yet it seemed as if there was an eternity between them. He didn't understand her at all. Just that morning, she was his loving wife, but now, she was a total stranger.

"Chris," her voice rigid with betrayal, "why didn't you tell me?"

His brow furrowed. "Tell you about what?"

She took in another deep breath. She felt like there was a large weight pressing down on her chest, slowing her breathing, and eventually stop it. With each passing second, she could feel the tension growing around her and the uneasiness that was rapidly settling down in her body.

"This afternoon, while I was at work... the police came to see me."

She waited for a physical response, but her husband's expression remained unchanged. It was as if he was indifferent or not surprised to hear her news. Maybe he already knew too. She shuddered at the thought.

She continued. "They questioned me, Chris, about you. They told me things that I thought were lies, but what they showed me was hard proof. At first, I couldn't believe it, but it was all right there in front of me. ...How could you?" Her voice was shaky, knowing that she was walking on thin ice now.

Chris let out an uneven breath. It sent chills up and down her spine, knowing full well that she had crossed the line. She looked straight into his eyes, now darker, and saw a monster. Quickly, he gripped her shoulders to keep her from running and she cried out.

"Oh, please no, Chris! Please don't do what you did to those other women to me!" She begged and pleaded. To her, her voice sounded like a mouse caught in a trap.

"Olivia, I love you." His voice was lowered and he took on a completely different personality. "But I can't stop _this_ from happening."

"But we can get you professional help, Chris. Please listen to me."

"I'm sorry, but-" his eyes drifted down towards the floor and he didn't say or do anything for a few moments.

Olivia hoped that he was reconsidering and would let her go. She had so many other things that she wanted to do with her life. Her body started to tremble and tears were now cascading down her cheeks.

Chris then finally made his move. With a swift motion, he reached into his pocket and took out a large pocket knife. He always kept it with him and she thought that he kept it for sentimental reasons being that it was given to him by his father, but now she knew the real reason why. It was the last piece of hard evidence that the police needed... the murder weapon.

FBI HEADQUARTERS  
PRESENT DAY  
8:06 AM

The briefing room was as stuffy as ever. Agents of the FBI were crowded into the small room with a projector and a white projection screen at the front of the room. Most of them held styrofoam cups filled to the rim with coffee while others brought some of their own files that they were also involved in. All of them were called in by the assistant director for an urgent meeting about a recurring case that needed great attention. The agents rushed to the meeting, knowing that if they were put on this case as a head agent, then they would, for sure, gain more respect within the halls of the FBI.

They murmured greetings as they passed one another trying to find a seat or a portion of the wall to lean against. All eyes turned once the assistant director entered the room and a silence followed shortly after. They waited quietly for him to begin.

AD Skinner looked at all the agents before him. He picked as many of his elite agents available to him to aid in an important case that seemed as if it would never become solved. Looking around, he could tell that they were alert, but weary from working. On the small desk in front of him, he picked up a stack of papers with the same picture printed on it and handed them out.

"As you know-"

The door flew open and two agents bustled in, obviously in a rush. All heads turned to look at the late birds and grimaced at the image of one of them. Some shook their head in disbelief, others chose to just ignore him for the time being.

"Sorry, sir, for being a little late this morning. Agent Scully and I had to take care of a few things," Mulder apologized.

He closed the door behind his partner and ushered her to the right side of the room, ignoring the fact that everyone was giving them dirty looks. He nodded for Skinner to move on.

Skinner cleared his throat. "As I was saying... I have requested all of you to be here today for the infamous Gavinger case. I'm pretty sure that most of you have heard about it, but for those who are a little slow this morning-" at this, he eyed Mulder and Scully "-this case has been difficult to close for about ten years now. It involved a man named Chris Gavinger."

The AD pressed a button on the remote and the slide projector emitted a mug shot of Gavinger on the white screen. He moved on.

"Gavinger is a white male, age 37, five foot ten, and weighs about 167 pounds. We had an informant key us in on his location, but we have to keep this low, so that we don't scare him off. He has killed four women so far, including one of our own agents. When he found out that she was FBI, he murdered her in her own home right after they had dinner. Catching this man is tough, but with my approach and your cooperation, I'm sure we will be able to put him behind bars for good. Now, before I go any further, are there any of you who cannot be part of this investigation?"

A few agents raised their hand, knowing that they had other more pressing cases to solve and left immediately. Once gone, Skinner pressed another button on the projector revealing the other faces of Chris Gavinger.

"We have a regular master of disguise here, agents, which is why this guy is so hard to capture. He can somehow switch identities quickly and quietly, leaving us somewhere in the dust, but we have now located him in the San Diego area. He lives in a relatively small neighborhood by himself and holds a stable job in the main city.

Now, to arrest this man, we're going to take a different approach. I will be sending an undercover, female agent posing as a potential love interest."

Scully shifted uneasily. Undercover cases always made her uncomfortable.

"By this, we will be able to gain more evidence and hopefully a confession to the murders of these women." Skinner looked around for any disagreement among his team. "Any questions?" he added.

Agent Wells raised a hand. "Yeah, who's going to be the lucky lady?"

AD Skinner turned off the projector and shoved his hands in his pockets, calmly stating one name. "Agent Dana Scully."

TO BE CONTINUED

The X-Files and its characters © 1013 Productions, Chris Carter, and FOX


	2. Part II

A/N  
Sorry, this took so long, but as all of you know, it is summer. So, the updates might be a little slower than usual. I'm also trying to take my time with this, because I don't want to mess up the story line or the writing itself. And I never want to disappoint any of you, so I hope that you will keep with me and enjoy.

Facade  
Part II  
Lady Sanna

Skinner turned the projector off and shoved his hands in his pockets, calmly stating one name. "Agent Dana Scully."

All heads turned towards the unsuspecting agent who was now turning red. Her eyes widened in disbelief and she could feel the heat rising in her cheeks from all the attention she was now getting. Even Mulder was shocked. She could hear some snicker and a few whispered somethings about Mr. and Mrs. Spooky.

"But, sir-" she started, but he cut her off before she could continue with a rational reason.

"I'm sorry, Agent Scully. I would have gladly chosen another, but it was not my decision to make. It was beyond my power," Skinner explained. He then turned to the rest of the agents and nodded. "You are all dismissed. And as for Agents Mulder and Scully, I'd like to see both of you in my office in a few minutes."

Scully stared at Skinner, shoulders slumped and her professional image stripped. She wondered why whoever made the decision picked, out of all the agents, her? There were plenty of other very, attractive female agents that were good candidates. This isn't even an X-File, she thought. With an exasperated sigh, she straightened her back and walked out of the room with Mulder following behind. She could tell his mind was wondering about the same things too, except for maybe the 'other very, attractive female agents.' Well, at least, she hoped not.

Once the meeting with Skinner began, both the agents were becoming increasingly uncomfortable as time moved on and information was laid out in more detail. They listened intently knowing that this was going to be a crucial case in which steps had to be taken with all precautions in mind.

"Scully, your role is, as you know, very important. They picked you based on your persuasiveness and ability to not become easily deceived. Those are key elements that we need to get this guy into thinking that you're both in love with each other."

That struck a chord with her. Pretending to be in love? It was cruel when she thought about it. Quickly, she stole a small glance at Mulder and saw that he was not entertained by the plan either. He sat against the back of his chair, his eyes looking straight at Skinner, and his head leaning against the fist of his hand, clearly unmotivated.

Skinner was still talking. "You will need to do everything in your power to gain his trust and hopefully, you'll be able to get some kind of confession out of him. Now, remember, you're dealing with a dangerous man and we'll be stationed somewhere close by just in case something happens. Is there anything else that you need to know?"

Mulder leaned forward. "Yeah, why were we assigned in the first place. I thought we only dealt with X-Files."

Skinner removed his glasses and lay them on his desk. "Like I said, Agent Mulder, it wasn't my decision to make."

X-FILES OFFICE  
12:48 PM

Mulder was unusually quiet. The only time he did talk was when he asked Scully if she wanted coffee. She politely said no and resumed reading up on their prime suspect. There had to be something strange or something that stuck out that drove Gavinger to kill the four women that he was involved with. Flipping page after page provided no clue, but she kept on looking anyway.

When Mulder returned, he sat in his usual seat behind the desk. He had obviously thought long and hard about their new case, but was unsure of what to make of it. His partner was going out there without him as fresh meat for this guy, Gavinger, to pounce on. Mulder could see the whole thing play out. They would meet, he would be struck by her beauty, they would make conversation, she would give him her winning smile, and he would ask her out for coffee. Then, they would go out on a date...

"Mulder? Are you all right?" Scully broke the silence.

Her partner snapped back to reality. "Huh?"

She made a small nod towards his coffee cup.

He quirked an eyebrow and looked at his styrofoam cup and noticed that he was squeezing it a little more than he should. "Oh!"

She smirked and returned to reading up on her new "Soon-to-be-boyfriend." So far, all she knew was that Gavinger held a stable job as a business man, had a few minor debts, paid his taxes, and went out for an occasional drink. It wasn't anything unusual, just normal. She read further and noted that he was reportedly seen at a certain restaurant on Fridays. Scully made a mental note about the restaurant, knowing that she could use the information later.

Mulder sat his coffee next to him and leaned back in his chair, being careful not to tip it too far. "So, Scully, what do you think about Mr. Gavinger so far?

She stopped reading and flipped the file closed then looked up at him. "He's a regular joe, Mulder, and I can't find anything too incriminating against him. Even with his other identities, he seems like he pulled off a normal life, except for maybe having children. So, by that, I'm guessing he was only interested in something that his wives had."

"What, you mean like money?" Mulder then lowered his chin. "...Or boobs?"

Scully gave him the look.

He shrugged, giving her his innocent face.

She moved on, "Well, when we get to San Diego, I'm going to pull up his medical records and maybe we can find something there."

He nodded and after a few seconds of silence, he stood and started pacing the room while she returned to her researching. He just couldn't let her do this case. He was too overprotective over her and he didn't want to see her get hurt or worse, die. How was he supposed to protect her if he wasn't there in person beside her? A wave of 'what if's started flooding his mind and he became increasingly insecure about the whole thing. Actually, he had been insecure since the beginning.

He leaned against the edge of his desk, next to his partner, his arms crossed and his head hung low. "...Scully, I have a bad feeling about this one."

Her head snapped up and she looked up at him. "Mulder, you always have a bad feeling."

"I'm being serious here. I mean, the guy is a serial killer and for ten years, he has never been caught. He's a deceiver and by his profile, he's clearly unstable," he replied.

Scully shut the case file. "Well, so are the other guys that we chase. Only they usually are some sort of monster or mythical being."

Mulder's eyes instantly lit up.

"Not saying that they really are, scientifically," she added quickly.

He rolled his eyes and continued. "My point is, is that going undercover as _bait_ is highly dangerous. I mean, what if he-" Mulder searched his mind. "I don't know. Say, that he knocks you out or slips something in your drink and you become unconscious and we can't get to you?"

"Mulder, that's not going to happen, I assure you. I can take care of myself," she said bluntly.

"I know that, Scully, but I'm just saying. ...I don't think I can go through another Agent Ritter situation again." He remembered well when Scully was shot and he wasn't there to help her. God, how that made him angry learning that her temporary partner failed to protect his own. "The last thing I want to see you in is back in that hospital bed."

A small sigh escaped her lips as she looked up at his eyes. She could instantly tell that he was deeply concerned and above all, worried about losing her. His usual alert, green eyes were now pleading with her to reject the case, but she knew that she couldn't.

Scully stood, keeping direct eye contact with him. "I can't turn this case over, Mulder. This is my job and besides, I have no choice. And not only is it my job, but I feel it's my obligation to take this case and close it before any more women get hurt."

He looked right back at her, then lowered his gaze back to the floor. She was right, he thought. She's always right. But there was also something else that was nagging him which was probably what propelled this conversation in the first place. He was just subconsciously hiding it with his rash reasoning.

Scully understood Mulder's body language and instantly knew what was going on in that head of his. She took his hand in hers and gently squeezed it, reassuring him, comforting him. He felt her warm touch against his skin and his body ached for more. His eyes traveled back up to hers. Just by looking straight into her eyes, they could communicate anything without saying a single word. This was what they both loved most about their relationship.

Without saying anything more, Scully leaned forward and pressed her lips against the top of his forehead, the place that was reserved only for her. He closed his eyes.

"Trust me, Mulder," she whispered.

With that said, she loosely wrapped her arms around his neck as he placed his arms around her tiny waist and rested his head against her chest. She ran a hand through his thick, brown hair and closed her eyes as well.

This was going to be a dangerous case, indeed.

SAN DIEGO, CA  
6:24 PM

"So, tell me, Jack, how are you today?" the psychiatrist asked as he sat down in his plush chair opposite his patient.

Dr. Gil Strasser was Chris Gavinger's (now called, Jack Nolan) new psychiatrist. He had been seeing him for a year and progression was coming slowly, but nonetheless, there was improvement. Jack had always seen a shrink since he was ten years old because of his parents. He never liked it until he was old enough to see that he actually needed it. However, during his sessions, they mostly talked about normal, everyday concerns rather than his real reason for being there in the first place. That was always a difficult subject to bring up.

Lying back on the sofa he replied, "Good."

Dr. Strasser nodded, satisfied with the one-word answer. "Tell me what you did today."

He took a deep breath and began at the very beginning with waking up like he always did when the doctor asked the question. He then moved on to his job and the occasional brush with his coworkers and finally, going home. It was his usual routine, a normal, boring routine that he hated. Dr. Strasser scribbled on his notepad, chewed on the end of his pen, then scribbled some more. That always made him nervous, not knowing what exactly he was writing. Who knows what he did. Maybe he just drew pictures on that big, yellow notepad all day long.

The doctor looked back up and squinted his eyes, slightly. "Anything else that you would like to tell me about?"

Jack searched his thoughts for anything worth talking about for the rest of the time that he paid for. After a minute or two, he couldn't think of anything else, except for one recurring matter, but he quickly pushed it aside.

Dr. Strasser spoke up. "Jack, I have a feeling that you want to tell me something, but you're afraid. Is that true?"

Surprised, Jack stayed silent. He never had a psychiatrist actually read his mind before. In his mind, he was debating whether or not to open his mouth, but the other voice kept on telling him to say nothing and warned him if he even tried to say anything about it at all.

Strasser raised an eyebrow, took off his glasses, and sat forward. "Are you all right?"

Jack noticed that he was starting to sweat profusely. Tiny, water droplets started to form at the top of his head and effortlessly, slide down his face. His whole body started to shake and there was no way that he could control it. He desperately tried to say something, but another side took over.

"I will be leaving now, Dr. Strasser.." He mumbled something incoherent and stood, leaving the psychiatrist in confusion.

Before his patient reached the door he stopped him. "But, Jack, we're not done yet. We still have fifteen minutes to go. Please calm down and have a seat." He mentioned back to the leather sofa in front of him.

Nolan eyed him. "I have nothing else to say to you," he replied, calmly, and reached for the door knob.

"Jack, I know that you have a problem and we can talk about it. Please, sit down." His voice was even and he remained collected.

Nolan kept his back to him and his eyes downcast. "There is nothing that you can do. I will be leaving now." And with that, he left without saying another word.

The doctor shook his head and let out a sigh, scribbling down notes on his yellow notepad. He had seen this condition before, but he never got the chance to help those who were affected. They always left before getting proper treatment. He believed that fear was what drove them and fear was what now drove Jack Nolan.

9:50 PM

Jack slammed the door to his apartment shut and slid the dead bolt into place. His breathing was heavy and he tried to gain control over his mind. Running his fingers through his short hair, he quickly walked over to the kitchen and filled a glass with water. His hands were shaking as he gulped the cold liquid down. Finishing, he swiped his lips against his sleeve and went into his bedroom, collapsing onto his bed. He closed his eyes for a minute or two and rested.

"_How many times have I told you never to do that again, Stephen?" a man shouted at him._

_The man then raised a hand and hit him in the face. The little boy fell to the floor from the impact and started to cry immediately. The man was breathing hard from the exertion of punishing the child. Anger and frustration boiled inside of him, fueling his already heightened rage. He reached out to pull the small child up by the shirt and hit him again. And once again, the child fell to the hard, wooden floor, unconscious and tears still streaming down his cheeks._

Jack immediately sprang up from his bed in cold sweat and desperately tried to take in air. His breaths were shallow and he clutched at the pain in his chest. It haunted him day and night. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it over and over again. He relived those moments every second that he slept. Tears started forming at the corners of his eyes. He was tired and he wanted to sleep, but he couldn't. He just couldn't.

He decided to take a shower, washing the day away and the scent of alcohol that lingered on his skin. Once done, he swung the towel around his shoulders and sat on his bed, his hands covering his face. While trying to remain in control, he opened his side drawer and took out four pictures, each one of them a picture of him and his previous loves. Tears started to form at the corners of his eyes. He just didn't understand why.

"Are you crying _again_?" Jack looked up at the mirror across from his bed. His lips moved, but it wasn't him who was speaking. "You wuss, you're lucky to have me around. Otherwise, you wouldn't last a day in this damn world."

He shut his eyes and took in a deep breath. "Leave me alone."

"I would, but hello! You're stuck in my body!" he retorted.

"_Your_ body? Excuse me, this is _my_ body!" Jack shouted. "And personally, I don't think you'd last a day either seeing what you control my body to do."

He rolled his eyes. "Hey, I have more fun that way. Don't tell me that you don't enjoy the chicks and booze!"

Jack glared at his reflection, his other personality. "No, no I don't enjoy it. I just don't see any good that comes out of it." He let out an exasperated sigh. "And besides, if I let you have girls, why won't you let me at least keep one, huh? Is that so much to ask?"

He sneered. "They were bitches. Why the hell would you want to _keep_ them in the first place? Besides, they weren't good in bed at all," he laughed.

Jack raged. He hated his 'other'. He constantly argued with _him_ and battled _him_ all day long trying to keep control over his body. Every single day, he would be forced to commit an act so vile, that he felt that he had to viciously scrub his entire body. He wanted to just kill _him_, but that meant, killing himself as well.

TO BE CONTINUED

The X-Files and its characters © 1013 Productions, Chris Carter, and FOX


	3. Part III

A/N  
I know it's taking me longer to update, but I'm occupied with my exams, summer reading, and recently, Asian dramas. So, for making up for the long wait, this chapter is super long and hopefully, exciting.

Oh, and there are adult situations, but it's not too graphic.

Facade  
Part III  
Lady Sanna

BURJERÉ RESORT AND SPA  
8:02 AM  
SAN DIEGO, CA

"When Skinner said we were staying in a hotel, I didn't think he was talking about _this_ hotel," Scully commented, her hand shading her eyes as she looked up at the tall, tan colored building.

"Well, he did say it was at least a four-star," he replied as he popped the trunk open and started taking out their bags.

The hotel stood ten stories high (not including the spacious, lobby area), had a simplistic yet elegant island vibe, and its landscape included exotic flowers as well as numerous palm trees that fanned out their great leaves across the lawns. Each room, from what Scully could see, had their own accessible balcony, complete with two chairs and a small table, overlooking the ocean which was right across the hotel. She nodded in approval of Skinner's choice.

When they checked in, Mulder received card keys to two rooms, most likely ones that were situated next to each other. "Wow, he even booked us different rooms. I mean, it's not like we're going to use the other one," Mulder said seductively, wagging his eyebrows up and down.

Scully rolled her eyes and smiled.

Once settled in their accommodating rooms, the two agents discussed how Scully was going to meet Mr. Jack Nolan and ultimately, have him fall in love with her at first sight. She groaned inwardly.

"Okay, Mulder, let's go over this one more time. I want to make sure I have it down right," she sighed.

He skimmed down his notepad, lightly tapped the end of his pen on the edge, and started. "What's your name?"

"Alexandria Wells, Alexa for short."

"Date of birth."

"May 21, 1964."

"And in what city did you grow up in?"

"New York City."

"Gotta love a Yankee woman."

"Mulder," she warned.

"Okay, okay." He scanned the page to find where he left off. "Um, what was your family like?"

CAFE ITALIANO  
7:43 PM  
SAN DIEGO, CA

'Why won't this woman shut up?' Nolan rested his head on his fist and stared blankly at the woman in front of him. He slightly rolled his eyes then looked down at his watch and huffed. It was going to be a long day.

"So, anyway, I have this girlfriend, well, okay, _ex_-girlfriend, and she's like, 'Oh. My. God. You did not just kiss my boyfriend.' And I was like, 'Uh, yeah, I did. What are you going to do about it, biotch?' So, then, we like totally went all out. I mean, we just went at each other's throats, you know?" She tilted her head to the side and raised her eyebrows so high that he couldn't see them underneath her perfectly, curled bangs.

"Oh, yeah, I definitely know what you're talking about," he responded, mockingly.

She smiled and chewed her bubble gum, grinding it between her semi-perfect teeth. "So, I like went catwoman on her, you know? Like-" She made claws with her hands and hissed like a feline. "Like that see?" She nodded eagerly.

Nolan raised an eyebrow and mentally slapped himself. Maybe he should recommend his psychiatrist to her. As soon as the bell rang, he sighed and silently thanked God. Unfortunately, his next date would be just as worse.

A dark-lipsticked woman with an equally dark wardrobe plopped down in the chair in front of him with a semi-blank look. She was the very epitome of a gothic girl. He smiled trying to lighten up the situation, but she didn't respond much and just huffed at his attempt. Well, at least he tried.

"So-"

"Shut up, I don't want to talk to you. You're not exactly what I would call, 'my type'," she spat, looking him straight in the eye which sent shivers up and down his spine.

His lips tightened and nodded, sitting back in his chair. This was more awkward than the time his mother caught him with a girl in his bedroom which inevitably led him to getting a place of his own. He tried to look around at something else, trying to avoid her emotionless gaze as he started to wring his wrists in anticipation for the signal to switch.

The girl studied him and small smirk formed on her dark lips. "The name's Wendy," she stuck out her hand.

Jack immediately stopped wringing his wrists and raised his eyebrow at the sudden friendliness from his gothic friend. Timidly, he shook her hand.

"Yeah, I hate my name, but," she shrugged. "Oh, and don't worry, I put on that act every time I meet someone here. It's sort of a test that I do. I hate it when people stereotype. I mean, it's not like all gothic people are cold-hearted and reserved," she explained.

'Okay, so maybe this wasn't going to be a bad date after all,' he said mentally.

They exchanged thoughts, got to know each other more, and started to like each other, but in a friendly way. To his surprise, when she smiled, he could see that she had turned her canines into fangs like that of a vampire. Unfortunately, before he could ask her about them, the bell rang and their conversation ended. She gave him another handshake and left to the person behind him.

Taking a sip of his drink, he sat back in his chair and took in a deep breath. He had been looking for a woman for a few months now and he couldn't find one lady that was suitable. There was always something that they hid and when revealed, he immediately fled. Once, he found out that one of his dates was actually a man. Never again, he thought.

Jack looked at his watch and wondered where his next date was. He leaned over to the side and saw a petite redhead, backing away, refusing to give the man her number. He pleaded and even went on his knees, but she kept on denying him.

"Please? Come on! I know you're _the _one! Please?" the man begged.

She shook her head, "Sorry, Ben, you're a nice guy, but I don't think so."

The man leapt at her feet and held on to her ankle, beseeching her with his puppy-eyed expression. Her eyes widened and she gave him a warning look of her own. Quickly, she pulled her foot from his grasp and turned around. As soon as Jack saw her face for the first time, his breath was caught in his throat. She was beautiful and she had something about her that could stop any man in his tracks. When she sat down, she apologized and introduced herself.

"Hi, I'm Alexandria Wells," she smiled warmly.

His heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice and he was absolutely speechless. No wonder the other guy wanted her number so bad. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he stammered, "H-Hi, my name's J-Jack Nolan."

Once they knew a little bit about each other's background, they moved on to more conversational topics. He noticed that she was extremely smart and had a vast vocabulary for a woman who worked in Human Resources at a small company. She also talked about how she was a big Yankee fan and started naming off her favorite players and told him how she first got into baseball, thanks to her previous boyfriend.

The bell was hit, signaling the end of the Speed Dating session, and everyone got up either relieved or disheartened.

"Well, I guess that's it, then," Jack told her with a tight smile.

She breathed a yeah and appeared to be just as disappointed.

"Hey, um, do you think _I _could give you a call some time? I mean, it seems like we pretty much hit it off, don't you think?" he asked.

Her eyes lit up. "I thought you would never ask," she replied nervously.

She got a pen out from her bag, grabbed a napkin off the table, and scribbled her number on it. Then handing it to Jack, she said, "This is the number of the hotel that I'm staying at. You can just ask for me there."

He thanked her and they departed. Eyeing the napkin, he smiled, then carefully folded it and placed it in his pocket, knowing full well that he was going to ask her out for another date. Once he paid for his bill, he made his way around the crowd of people and into the men's restroom.

Inside, he checked to see if there was anyone else there besides himself and finding that he was alone, walked over to the sink and turned on the faucet.

"So, what do you think?"

"She's a good-looker for one," came the reply of his 'other'.

Jack looked up at the mirror, "Well, yeah, that's a given. But what do you think of her style, her personality, you know, that sort of thing?"

Nolan smirked, "Psh, I don't know, but what I do want to know is if she knows how to use those perfect, full lips of hers."

Jack rolled his eyes. "Is that all you care about? Seriously."

"Hey, hey, hey, you don't want someone boring do you?" He shook his head. "Come on, Jack, don't you want someone _exciting_ for a change?"

"Well, not like what you're thinking," he retorted. "This is what I hate about you. All you want is women, money, and booze! Well, let me tell you something.. Life doesn't revolve around things like that. You just have no life, buddy. And that's why you don't want me to have one either."

His 'other' became enraged at the fact that Jack was treating him like some kid that he found off some street. He wasn't going to be looked down upon from him like that! Oh, no, he wasn't going to give up this fight. By the time, this Alexandria was within his clutches, he was going to take her away just like he did to the other women that Jack loved.

The two argued loudly, threatening each other, saying that they would rather die than remain in one body. They taunted, teased, and mocked that is until someone else walked in.

"Um, am I interrupting something?" The tall, brown-haired man asked, his eyebrow raised.

Jack jumped at the sound of another person's voice, and whipped around to see a man that he had seen before. Without a second thought, he recognized him as the one that begged for Alexandria's number.

"Oh, uh, no. Just practicing for an-" he quickly scanned his brain for an excuse, "a-audition! Yes, I was just practicing for an audition that I have later tonight." He smiled nervously, hoping that the man would just ignore him.

A tight smile spread across the man's lips. "I see, but isn't it a bit late for an audition?" he remarked as he made his way to the sink next to his.

Jack checked his watch. It was 9:43. "..Well, it's only for, um, _special_ actors." He mentally slapped himself.

The other man only nodded in response. "So, what's your name?" he asked before Jack made another move.

He hesitated then told him his name and asked for his.

"Mul- I mean," Mulder cursed mentally, "-Ben Siegal." He stuck out his hand and Jack shook it. "So, I saw that you got Alexandria's number. Lucky you."

Jack smiled, "Yeah, but I'm kind of wondering why she didn't give it to a good-lookin' fellow like yourself."

Mulder shrugged. "Guess I wasn't her type." And with that, he hung his head and turned to leave the bathroom.

But before, his friend left his sight, he shouted, "Better luck next time, eh?"

Mulder turned around and gave him a reassuring nod, then left.

The next day, Scully received a call from Jack and of course, she accepted to meet him later that afternoon at an art gallery featuring masterpieces from various talented artists that were from Europe. After hanging up, she immediately told Mulder and the rest of FBI undercover team about her upcoming date. They wired her and tested the small, electronic devices to make sure that they were working correctly. Once her date arrived to pick her up, Mulder gave her hand a small squeeze and wished her luck.

About a week went by and Scully had a date every day, trying to gain Jack's trust each time and hoping that he would say or show something that they could use as incriminating evidence against him. Instead, they spent a lot of their time talking and laughing and she found herself enjoying these little conversations of theirs relaxing. It had been a long time since she had been on a real date and she admits that Jack was like a breath of fresh air for her. Besides the fact that he wasn't as handsome as say, her partner, his openness made up for everything that he lacked physically and she liked that about him.

However, all this talk about her new 'boyfriend' made an unexpected turn in her _real_ relationship with Mulder.

BURJERÉ SPA AND RESORT  
8:38 PM

Mulder stood outside on his balcony, leaning against the railing, and watching the ocean from a distance. It swayed, pulled back, and threw itself onto the edge of the beach, crashing into the sand and retracting, repeating this dance over and over again. The sound of the waves calmed and soothed him and he wondered maybe he should move nearer to the beach one day. The gentle wind ruffled through his hair and he let out a deep breath.

As soon as that thought came to his mind, he spotted Jack's car entering the parking lot and immediately withdrew to the shadows to avoid being seen. The last thing that Jack needed to know was that him and Scully, or Alexandria for that matter, were staying in the same hotel. It would arise great complications that they were not ready to face.

He watched as Jack stopped the car in front of the hotel entrance, got out and like a gentleman, he opened the door for Scully. She stepped out and thanked him, then gave him a small peck on the cheek as a goodnight and quickly headed inside. Jack watched her until she was out of sight, then jumped back into his car and sped off, obviously happy from the small affection that he received. He never felt so alive.

Once safe, Mulder stepped out from the shadows and into the moonlight, resuming his watch of the beautiful ocean before him. He was jealous, yes, he would admit that, but he couldn't tell Scully. She didn't need to have his troubles settle on her heart and distract her, ruining what they had both worked hard for. She needed to focus all her attention on Jack Nolan instead of the personal feelings of her partner. He felt a sudden pain within him, but he buried it just like he did with his other unneeded emotions.

Meanwhile, Scully hurried to their floor and up to her room. She changed out of her clothes, took a quick shower, and donned a soft, white cotton robe, tying it tightly around her waist. When she had gotten out of Jack's car, she spotted her partner watching them with a hurt expression across his usually calm face. Inside, she could hear him communicate to her and tell her that nothing was the matter and to just ignore him, but she knew something was up. With her hair now dry, she took a deep breath, and knocked on Mulder's door, peeking to see where he was.

"Mulder, may I come in?" she called out.

Scully received no reply, but entered his room anyway, closing the door behind her. Scanning the room, she spotted no sign of him, then looked out on the balcony and found him leaning against the railing. From where she was, she could see that he didn't change out of his suit, but his tie was loosened and his jacket thrown onto the chair next to him. And by looking at his face, she could tell that something serious was on his mind.

As she stepped onto the balcony, Mulder heard her and turned around, greeting her with a warm smile. "Hey, how'd the date go?"

Scully joined him by standing next to him, watching the ocean crash onto the beach. "It was great. We, ah, went to eat dinner at a nice restaurant, walked down one of those streets famous for their shops and lighted decorations, talked a bit, then came back here." She looked up at him. "What about you, Mulder? Did you do anything while I was gone?"

To tell the truth, he had been at the hotel the whole time, worrying about her and had even called the FBI team multiple times saying that if anything bad had happened to her to call him immediately. Good thing he didn't receive the call, otherwise he would've killed Nolan in an instant. With a composed voice he replied, "No, just stayed here and relaxed. I mean, how many times do we get a chance like this to watch the ocean from the west side of the US?"

She smirked and let out an even breath. "It really is beautiful out here isn't it?"

Mulder only nodded to her comment.

---

Ten miles away, Jack was whistling to a tune stuck in his head, pleased that his date went so well with Alexandria. Even, his 'other' was content with the whole relationship. As he drove along, he glanced over to the passenger chair and something lustrous caught his eye. Being careful, he reached over and brought it to eye level. It was the gold bracelet that he had given Alexandria and guessed that it must have slipped off when she got out of the car. With an exasperated sigh, he decided to turn the car around and head back to the hotel, hoping to return the bracelet before she went to sleep.

---

Back at the hotel, Mulder and Scully were simply enjoying each other's company in silence. They hadn't been together for a long while ever since Scully had been spending the whole day with her 'boyfriend'. They both missed each other's presence and their lively banter, but right now, they just remained quiet.

During this time, Mulder was arguing with himself whether or not he should tell her and after awhile of thinking of the possibilities, he just threw out everything and closed his eyes, hoping that this wouldn't end badly. "Scully?"

She jumped at the sudden sound of his voice. "Hm?"

"Do you like Jack?"

Her eyebrow raised at the abrupt interest in their suspect. "...I guess he's a pretty nice guy."

"Yeah? What do you like about him then?"

Scully thought a bit. "Well, he's outgoing, funny, and he's pretty smart. Why?"

He shrugged and undid his tie then threw it onto the chair with his jacket. "I, um, just noticed that you are a lot happier now than before. It's nice to see you smile, Scully," he cleared his throat.

"Ohh, Mulder, are you coming onto me?" she teased.

He chuckled, "Hey, that's my line remember?"

She gave him a small smile then turned back to watching the ocean.

"...Hey, Scully?"

"Yes, Mulder."

"What if this wasn't a case and you happened to meet Mr. Jack Nolan by chance and you two dated-," Mulder shifted uncomfortably then turned to face her. "...Would you have_ loved_ him?"

Scully's breath was caught in her throat. She wasn't exactly sure what to say or even think. Was Mulder jealous of her "relationship" with Jack? Yes, she did like him, but love? She wanted to shout at him for even thinking of such a notion, but she was completely speechless. After a few seconds of recollecting her thoughts, she took a confident step towards him, and grasped his hand in hers.

In earnest, she replied, "...Mulder, the only man that I will ever love... is the one who taught me to believe and who taught me what trusting really means."

Mulder's heart raced when he heard the words that he longed for come out of his partner's mouth. Now knowing the truth, he felt like the luckiest man in the world to have someone actually love him back. Tentatively, he placed his hand against the side of her face, his thumb caressing the smoothness of the apple of her cheek, and looked straight into her eyes. She gave him a small, nervous smile letting him know that it was okay and that she wasn't going to hold back. He returned the gesture and hesitantly lowered his head towards hers. Scully could feel the warmth of his breath that was gliding over her lips and she closed her eyes. Her partner took this as acceptance and he sweetly placed his lips on hers.

---

Down in the Burjeré parking lot Jack was searching for a parking space, still humming to the happy tune in his head. He couldn't wait for tomorrow's date. He had been planning a long time, even before he met Alexandria, to show someone who was of great importance in his life something that meant a lot to him. That someone he knew was going to be her for sure, he thought.

He smiled and instinctively, looked up toward her hotel room to see if he could see if her light was still on, but something greater caught his eye. His humming stopped and the tune that was once in his head evaporated. Quickly, he shut off his engine and slid onto the passenger's chair to get a better look. Was it him or were his eyes deceiving him? Squinting, he immediately recognized the two figures on the balcony. It was dark, but he was pretty damn sure that it was her and, to his dismay, another man.

---

Scully couldn't think at all as she tried to draw all of this in. They were breaking all kinds of rules and standards, but that didn't matter to her now. It was just her and Mulder and that's all that she cared about. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his dropped to her small waist and they brought their bodies closer, deepening the kiss.

He couldn't believe how soft her lips were against his own. Even in his dreams, he never imagined that it would be this amazing. Sure, he had kissed her before, but not like this. No, this was much different. When they parted, they were still entranced by what had just happened. Scully felt so elated and a little embarrassed like she just had her first kiss and Mulder chuckled at how shy she looked. He then took her hand and led her inside, closing the sliding glass door behind him.

Once done, he returned to Scully and captured her lips once more. At first, she was a little surprised by his suddenness, but nonetheless, she welcomed it. She could feel his hands undoing the knot that she had secured earlier around her robe and felt the soft cotton cloth slip off her shoulders, leaving her clad in her underwear. Mulder stepped back a bit and his eyes roamed her body.

"You are beautiful, Scully," he breathed.

She slightly smiled and Mulder drew her with him towards the bed. As they fell back upon the down pillows, she began to pull at his shirt. Soon enough, she could feel his warm body under her fingertips. His breath caught at the feeling and Mulder seized her lips with his own.

'My God,' she thought as he started to place tender kisses down her neck. It felt like everything that they had endured in the past was erased and all time had stopped. These were the moments that she longed for and now, it was finally happening. This wasn't her dreams, this was her reality.

She whispered his name and at the sound of her voice, he caught her lips once more in a fiery kiss.

There was nothing separating them now. It was just the two of them sharing what they truly felt without words. They knew that they were taking a huge leap in their relationship, but all they wanted was to finally face what they had feared. And as Mulder whispered words of love into her ear, their bodies collided.

"I love you, Mulder," Scully told him, her breathing irregular and uneven from exertion.

He lowered his head to hers, their foreheads touching and replied, "And I love you."

As Mulder drew the comforter around them, Scully wrapped herself around him, placing her head against his chest. She closed her eyes, listening to the rhythmic beating of his heart. Carefully, he moved an errant strand away from her peaceful face and placed a small kiss on the top of her head. Then closing his eyes as well, they both fell asleep in each other's arms.

---

Outside, in the darkness of night, Jack Nolan cried.

TO BE CONTINUED

The X-Files and its characters © 1013 Productions, Chris Carter, and FOX


	4. Part IV

A/N  
Alas, it is the final end of Façade. Thank you to everyone who stayed with me and read my fics. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I had writing it, as I always say. And keep a look out for my upcoming fics!

Special Thanks to my beta and cousin, Jessica!

Façade  
Part IV  
Lady Sanna

7:16 AM

Mulder squeezed his eyes shut when bright sunlight shone through the sliding glass doors. Automatically, he rolled over on his side, letting the light warm his bare back, and wrapped himself around his other heat source, his partner. He smiled as he felt her bare skin against his and her scent wafting around him. It was nice to finally wake up to something.

Scully slightly shifted into a more comfortable position and fell back to sleep. She didn't want to work today. She didn't want to go through procedures and break her back trying to figure out mysteries. Most of all, she didn't want to see Jack. All she wanted was to stay in bed with Mulder and rest as if she were on vacation and not on the trail of some psychotic killer.

As Mulder also began to sleep, a loud knocking at the door immediately jerked him fully aware and awake. He looked towards the door then back at his sleeping partner and back at the door again. The person behind the door knocked loudly again and announced his business. Mulder groaned as he got out of bed.

"Just a minute," he called out.

He made his way into the bathroom, grabbed a large towel, and wrapped it around his lower half. Once done, he opened the door and found one of the chipper hotel workers with a large, manila envelope.

"Mr. Mulder? I'm sorry to disturb you, but I have an item that came in for Ms. Scully. She wasn't answering her door, and knowing that you two are well-acquainted with each other," at this the hotel worker looked towards the bed and Mulder cleared his throat, "I thought that you might be able to give this to her. It's urgent."

The worker handed him the envelope, bowed slightly, and left. Mulder read to see who it was from as he made his way back to where Scully was. Now awake, she sat up, drawing the sheets up to her chest.

"Mm, you know, Mulder, I was expecting breakfast in bed."

"Sorry, Scully, all they had was paper."

She gave him a tired smile and asked, "What is it?"

"It's for you. It just came this morning," he handed it over and sat on the edge of the bed next to her.

"This must be the medical records I had requested," she opened the envelope and pulled out the papers.

Her eyes started scanning the pages that were filled with Jack's records as well as records from his previous identities. She mumbled as she read on, brow furrowed, and all of her attention focused on finding anything that stood out. Finally, by the time she got to his second set of records, she found a few notes scribbled in by his doctor.

"Mulder, take a look at this. It says here that his doctor observed some behavioral abnormalities."

"Abnormalities?" Mulder questioned.

"He writes that the patient had some difficulty functioning and often seemed as if he was arguing with himself. Then he goes on with some other details about his troubles with simple thinking processes and here," she pointed, "he writes that he ordered a brain scan."

"And what did it come back with?"

Scully flipped the page and examined it. Her eyebrow raised. "Mulder, are you seeing what I'm seeing?"

He took the scan from her hands. "Yeah, I've seen it before. Only I've never seen it to this extent," he peered at it closer. "I believe this means that Jack Nolan has a severe dissociative identity disorder."

"He has multiple personalities…?" she asked.

He nodded, "Which explains why I found him talking to himself in the mirror when I bumped into him at the café restroom."

"Wait, wait, you talked to him? How come you never told me?"

"I didn't get much out of him, so I didn't think that it was such a big deal until now."

Scully thought for a moment. "So, basically, we have a man with a split personality, or personalities, who murders the women that he loves. But for what, Mulder? Why? I mean, there isn't a definite pattern of what he looks for in a potential partner. "

"Well, I have a theory, but there are a few ends that are still loose," he replied.

"Then, I say we tie those ends and talk to someone who can give us some answers, his psychiatrist."

As soon as Scully finished her sentence, the phone rang and, getting a look from Mulder, she answered it.

"Hey, Alexandria, it's Jack," came the voice on the other line.

"Oh, hey, Jack. How are you?"

"Good, good. Hey, um, I was thinking of treating you to something special tonight. Are you free, because I know that you'll be leaving in two days and I want to make the most out of the time that we still have together."

"Yeah, I think I'm free tonight," Scully responded, trying to sound excited. "Where are we going?"

He chuckled, "It's a surprise! So, I guess I'll pick you up at about 8:30 tonight?"

"That's fine. See you then."

After she hung up, Mulder groaned, "Mr. I'd-like-to-spend-every-minute-with-you, I presume?"

DR. GIL STRASSER'S OFFICE  
SAN DIEGO, CA  
12:07 PM

"Thank you for making room in your busy schedule to see us, Dr. Strasser," Scully told him as she and Mulder sat down in the armchairs in front of the psychiatrist's large, oak desk.

Strasser folded his hands neatly and nodded. He was an older man, professional, and Mulder could've sworn that he was the spitting image of Sigmund Freud.

"No problem at all, Agents," he responded. "Now what can I do for you? I'm not under suspicion or something, am I?"

"Not at all. We were hoping that you could tell us a little bit about one of your patients, Jack Nolan," started Mulder.

The doctor leaned back in his chair at the sound of his name. "May I ask why?"

"Sir, to put it plainly, he's a serial killer that we've been trying to track down for some time now. Any information about his mental condition would be a great help to us," Scully said.

"Oh my, a serial killer? I knew that there was something deeply wrong with him, but a murderer?"

"What do you mean by that?" Scully inquired.

Strasser took in a deep breath, knowing that this could get him in trouble, but he needed to tell them. "Jack isn't a normal person. He's not like the many patients that come to me with simple, psychological problems. I can't say that I've never had one like him before, but," he paused, "he's definitely someone who needs advanced, professional help."

"Can you confirm to me and Agent Scully that Jack has severe DID?" Mulder asked.

"How did you know?"

"We have medical records from his previous doctor which also contained brain scans. Agent Mulder identified the condition, being that he himself studied psychology in college," Scully commented, "but can you tell us anything else that could've triggered this condition?"

He held up a finger, got up from his chair, opened a file cabinet, and took out a manila folder. "This is everything that I have observed and found," he walked back to his chair and handed Scully the file. "I won't bore you with the _whole _story, but basically, Jack had a very troubled past. He says that he was brutally abused by his parents and was abandoned in an unfamiliar park at the age of eight, leaving to fend for himself. By some miracle, he was saved when a social worker happened upon him.

Throughout his earlier years, he was transferred from foster home to foster home, bad luck following him everywhere. Anyway, I believe that the beatings and abuse from his biological parents still haunt him to this very day, causing DID."

"PTSD, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder," Mulder muttered.

"Right, Jack's PTSD lead to a more severe problem, but the mental level with which Jack is experiencing it is unknown to me."

"Has he told you personally or verbally that he acknowledges his disorder?" Scully questioned.

Strasser shook his head. "No, but I've been trying to get it out of him for a year. I've had no luck, unfortunately. Whenever I try to get more clues about his condition, he immediately gets up and leaves. Now, I know for a fact that he is aware of his split persona."

---

"I knew it!" His 'other' cried, "I knew it from the moment you met her!"

"Shut up! I don't want to hear it again!" Jack shouted.

"She's a whore, Jack! Oh yeah, she played you good," he laughed.

"I said, shut up!" Jack buried his face in his hands.

"Ohh, I'm shaking in my little booties!" he mocked as he reached for a beer. "Well, what can I tell ya, Jack? I told you relationships are the worst way to go," he took a long swig of beer and belched.

Jack's face contorted in disgust. "What should I do? I asked her out tonight and I don't know how to confront her. I just can't go right out and say that I watched them have sex!"

"Wait, you're asking me?" His 'other' put on a large grin and propped his feet on top of the table. "This is a first."

"I'm desperate, Tom," Jack replied.

"Whoa, hold on there, who's Tom?"

"I gotta call you something, right?"

"Well I'll be. I finally get a name after all these years," he chuckled. "I was wondering when you were gonna get your head out of your ass."

Jack rolled his eyes. "So, how about it, _Tom_, what am I going to do?"

Tom leaned back in the lazy-boy chair, took another drink of his beer, and simply stated, "Do to her what you did to the others. It's as easy as that. And hey, I'll even take care of it for ya."

At first Jack thought it impossible to do something like that to Alexandria, but when he remembered that she had cheated on him, he considered. He never agreed to what Tom suggested, but somehow his 'other' always took complete control and did whatever he wanted. He wondered if he was slowly losing power over his own body, but didn't dwell on it too long, because for the first time in his life, he accepted Tom's proposal.

---

8:20 PM

Back at the hotel, Mulder and Scully started piecing their evidence together. They had spent most of the day talking and interviewing the people with whom Jack associated with regularly, excluding family. Getting a hold of his familial records took more than just their badges, so they threw that out the window and took on what they had. However, they did have some luck with his biological parents, but unfortunately, they both died a year earlier from driving under the influence.

And as Scully pulled on her little, black dress and applied her makeup for her 'special occasion', she couldn't stop thinking that she was going on a date with a confirmed psycho. It had been bad enough that the man was a murderer who could get away with anything. Sighing, she checked herself out in the mirror and walked into her partner's room.

She spotted him surrounded by files, a pen in hand, and by the look on his face, she could tell that he was so close to a definite answer, but not quite. As she sat across him, he looked up, and gave her a small smile.

"You look nice this evening," he complimented as he started rolling his pen between his fingertips. "How come you never dress this nicely for _me_?" he raised an accusing eyebrow and she gave him a small smile back, but it left just as quick as it came.

"What's wrong, Scully?"

"…You know, I can't wait until this whole thing is over," she said quietly, "I just feel so fake."

"Well, you are undercover."

"I know, but this whole façade… Well, I just hope I never have to do this again," she sighed.

Then, right on time, the horn of Jack's car could be heard from the parking lot. "Alexa!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Mulder turned back to Scully. "I believe your prince charming has arrived!" he joked.

---

8:43 PM

"I really appreciate you coming out here with me, Alexa," Jack told her as he drove down a winding road.

"No problem. I always enjoy your company," she replied, "but I'd really love to know where we're going."

Jack had blindfolded her after she got in the car to heighten the levels of surprise. "We're almost there, hang on." With that, his foot pressed on the gas, the car picking up more speed.

A few minutes later, Scully could feel the car slowing down, and finally, coming to a stop. Her heart was racing from being unaware of her surroundings, but she tried to appear as calm as possible. Then, she felt Jack help her out of the car, and started to lead her across from what she could sense, an open field. The grass swished beneath their shoes, and the cold, damp air surrounded them. There was only the sound of her and Jack, so she assumed that this was either a secluded place or someplace people don't usually visit.

Then, a few feet later, they stopped, he removed her blindfold, and when she finally knew where he took her, she clasped a hand over her mouth to stifle the scream that threatened to come out. Her eyes were wide and her heart was beating furiously. There before her, laid his four dead lovers on top of their graves, their bodies covered in deep lacerations.

"Oh my god," she breathed.

"I did this all for you," he smiled, wickedly.

"What is this? Why did you bring me here?"

"I wanted to show you the kind of man that I really am," he replied. "This was and is my life." He took her hand in his and kissed the top of it, but she quickly withdrew it from his grasp. "I wanted to make you mine, Alexandria. I am madly in love with you."

"So you show me this!" she started panicking.

"Well, at first, I _was_ going to take you to the beach, but then I thought, 'Hm, I should take her to see something that's more meaningful to me. Besides, her other boyfriend might have already taken her to the beach!'"

Scully took a step back. "Other _boyfriend_? What other boyfriend?"

"Oh, like you don't know," he accused. "Yes, I saw you with another man! Do you know how hurt I was to find out that way? Do you know how ripped apart I felt?" he shouted at her, enraged like she had never seen before. "Well, Alexa, this is what happens when you cross the line!" he pointed at the four dead women. "_This _is what happens!"

Scully took another step back. "Jack, please calm down. I can explain everything. This has just been a whole misunderstanding," she pleaded, hoping to persuade him.

He advanced toward her. "Oh no, I'm going to end this before I end up even more broken!" Carefully, Jack reached into his inside, coat pocket and pulled out his knife… the murder weapon. "Goodbye, Alexandria."

Then, Jack lunged after her, but Scully jumped out of the way and ran as fast as she could to the parking lot. Her eyes searched frantically for anyone that could help her, even if it was dead at night, and ran towards his car. Scared out of her wits, she looked back and saw him coming close on her heels, glistening knife in hand. Then, as soon as she reached the car, she tried to open it, but it was futile. She immediately ran towards the large amount of foliage that she hoped would give her some cover.

'What am I going to do!' she screamed in her head.

---

Mulder flipped another page, wrote some notes, sat back in his chair, and let out a long sigh. More and more paperwork seemed as if that was all he did, but he had to figure out the missing pieces. It was all he needed. He rubbed his eyes then proceeded to resume his work.

All of a sudden, his phone rang loudly, and he jumped. Quickly, he answered it, hoping that it was Scully.

"Mulder."

"Agent Mulder? It's Agent Perry. Listen, you need to get to Agent Scully as soon as possible," his voice full of distress.

This got Mulder into action. "Why, what is it? What's going on?" he demanded as he quickly grabbed his gun and started for the parking garage.

"Agent Scully's tracker was showing that she was moving quickly, but I don't think she's in a car. We believe that she's being chased, and unfortunately, we lost the trace, but we're definite that she's still in the same area," he reported.

Mulder started his car, shifted into drive, and sped out of the parking garage. "Where was the last signal given?"

"The San Diego Cemetery," Perry replied. "I already gave out an alert to the other agents and they are on their way as well."

"Alright," Mulder ended the call, his heart racing, and sped northbound, hoping that he would get there before Jack got to her.

---

Scully spotted a row of large, thick bushes and jumped behind them. She laid down against the dirt and tried to still her breathing. She could hear Jack's heavy footsteps and his labored breathing as well and prayed that he wouldn't find her. Beneath the bushes, there was enough room to keep an eye on her pursuer.

He stopped and looked around, quietly listening for any tell-tale sounds that would give away her position. He was like a lone wolf, desperate for food. Even his eyes reflected it.

"Tom, maybe we should give up on her," Jack said.

"What! You want that whore to live? Do you remember what she did to you? She lied and cheated on you, that's what she did!" his 'other' spat.

"Please, I don't think this is a good idea anymore. I didn't know what I was thinking when I accepted."

"That's what you do wrong, Jack, you don't think."

"Well, I don't care anymore. I don't want things to end like this!" he cried. "Seeing those four women… I don't want a fifth."

Tom rolled his eyes. "You are such a wuss, I swear."

Scully watched and heard him argue with himself or, rather, his split persona. She had never seen anyone with this kind of condition, but what she saw, frightened her to the bones. Jack, her friend, was fighting for her and, from what she could hear, Tom wanted to kill her no matter what. Nothing was standing in his way.

Suddenly, she lost sight of them and couldn't hear anything but her own breathing. Frozen, she couldn't will herself to move. She wasn't sure where he was now, being that he could be anywhere. Then, slowly, she started to rise from her position. She tried to stay as low as possible and make absolutely no noise at all. Step by step, she inched her way out of the bushes, and by the time, she figured that it was safer, she bolted. She wasn't sure where, but she just needed to get out of there.

Running and running, it almost seemed endless, like she was caught in a never ending maze. Just when her hopes were high, seeing that no one was coming after her, she was grabbed from behind, and thrown carelessly to the ground as if she was some kind of rag doll. Scully screamed as Jack flung himself on top of her, pinning her to the ground, weapon in hand.

"Stupid, _stupid_ woman," he snarled.

"Why are you doing this to Jack!" she cried. "Tell me!"

He slowed his breathing and looked at her with that crazed look in his eye. "My, my, maybe you are a smarter woman than I thought." He leaned closer to her, his face inches from hers. "Let me tell you something. Jack was a pathetic loser, a weak, pathetic loser. He could never hold out on his own, so that's why _I'm_ here, but I proved to strong for him," he smiled and nodded. "That's right, it's _my_ body now."

Scully's eyes widened in horror as he raised his weapon above his head. 'No, this can't be happening!' She was stuck. There was no one to help her and the FBI team probably had no idea where she was. This was the end.

"So long."

Then, as the weapon rapidly descended, a single gunshot was heard.

---

The dark blue ocean swayed, pulled back, and threw itself onto the edge of the beach, crashing into the sand and retracting, repeating this dance over and over again, never going any further, never reaching what it sought after. 'This was what it must've been like…'

Scully sighed as she stood on the shore and watched the ocean that she once knew as a young child. Every day, she would run down to the beach and make sand castles, waiting for her father to return home. And every day, she would watch the ocean and wonder. Even now as an adult, she could still feel that familiarity that she shared with these oceans. It comforted her. It was her place where time would stop and she could think. It freed her.

Just moments ago, she was facing death, but by a miracle, someone had saved her, the only person that could save her. It was Mulder that released that bullet and it was he that ran to her, taking her in his arms, shaking, and just holding her close, making sure that she was alive. She buried herself against him, feeling his warmth against her body, and closed her eyes to keep the tears from streaming down her face.

Once collected, Scully then removed herself from Mulder and walked quickly over to Jack. He was still alert, but he was losing blood fast. She dropped to her knees to aid him, but he stopped her.

"Please… don't," came his hoarse reply. "It's time that _I_ take control."

"Jack," she breathed in disbelief.

"I never wanted to hurt you or anyone else. This is my repentance." He took a hold of her hand and squeezed it with what little strength he had. "Cherish what you have and love." His eyes then turned towards Mulder and finally, closed forever.

Thinking about it made Scully want to cry. Jack was a tortured soul, living in constant deprivation and in some way, she added to that. Her partner was right, maybe this wasn't a case for her, but she had made a choice and she learned from it. It was the only thing she could do.

In the distance, she heard footsteps walking towards her.

"There you are. I was looking all over for you," Mulder said, joining her.

She glanced up at her companion. "I just came here to think."

He only nodded in response and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"…Why?" she asked.

Mulder slightly shook his head. "Because all he wanted was to be loved for once."

Scully looked up at him.

"Think about it, he didn't have loving parents, he didn't have any friends, he didn't even have a place to call home. I think once he did find what he was looking for, he became insecure, paranoid, if you will, that he would lose it. It was then that his other personality was created."

"But how could it get that bad in which it took over his body?"

"He strengthened it by talking to it, spending time with it, wanting to build a companionship, but somewhere along the way, that companionship was turned upside-down. Then, I guess you could say, that there were two souls fighting for one body."

She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath as she recollected her thoughts. "…Jack said that he was going to take me to somewhere special, but I don't think it was to the cemetery."

"You don't?"

"No, he said something about the beach, but," she looked around, "I don't see anything out of the ordinary here."

"Well, maybe he just wanted to bring you to the ocean."

"Maybe," she shrugged slightly. "…You know, Mulder, we're very lucky."

"How's that?

"Well, first of all, we have what Jack never had; we have families, good friends, a job that we love…"

"And each other," he added.

Scully smiled, "Yes, and each other."

CASE CLOSED: JULY 27, 2006

The X-Files and its characters © 1013 Productions, Chris Carter, and FOX


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